A motor vehicle of the type set forth in the technical field is generally known, for example, from U.S. Pat. No. 7,243,754 B2. The airbag is concealed under a lid incorporated in the front hood here. The airbag blows off the lid upon triggering, in order to subsequently spread out over a rear area of the hood and the lower and lateral edges of the windshield.
The attachment of the airbag to the hood is fundamentally advantageous, because the airbag does not obstruct the access to the engine compartment below the hood when the airbag or a housing receiving it is raised together with the hood when the hood is opened. However, it is annoying that the lid represents a visible foreign body on the hood. In addition, the lid must be fastened tightly on the hood in order to protect the airbag from moisture, which makes replacing the destroyed lid difficult in case of incorrect triggering, and results in high repair costs.
A motor vehicle having a so-called active hood is known from DE 103 15 588 A1, i.e., a hood which is raised by actuators in case of an accident, in order to increase the distance to an engine block lying underneath and thus provide a longer pathway, on which the body of a pedestrian hitting the hood can be decelerated, without contact occurring with the engine block. An airbag is attached adjacent to a water pan below the hood in this known vehicle. The airbag is designed to cover the windshield and the A columns of the vehicle body in case of a collision.
At least one object of the present invention is to provide a motor vehicle with an airbag which at least partially overlaps the windshield in the expanded state, in the case of which the airbag is attached inconspicuously and well protected from moisture. In addition, other objects, desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent summary and detailed description, and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background.